


The Darkhunter

by cornerandchair



Series: The Darkhunter [2]
Category: Trollhunters (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-07
Updated: 2017-03-20
Packaged: 2018-09-30 16:59:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10167632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cornerandchair/pseuds/cornerandchair
Summary: James Lake Sr. wanted to be a good father.He wanted to ignore the family legacy and just spoil little Jim rotten.But monsters hide under beds... in bushes... in museums.





	1. The Snipe Hunter

**Author's Note:**

> Shout-out to 115Master and a3rie (super shout out to a3rie, and if I were a better person I'd actually respond to all the really nice comments they leave me, all the nice comments I get from everyone, really.)

James Lake was in his kitchen, gladly finishing off a tub of ice cream by his lonesome in the early hours of the morning. The Amulet of Morgaine, or- as the book he was now thumbing through called it- The Amulet of Moonlight sat across the table.

The book seemed more like a journal of sorts, but it detailed things as though it were a field guide. There was too much to really absorb at the time, but he started to get the jist of just how this all worked.

Mordred had encountered Trolls once in his life, and without Merlin’s magic to cloud his mind of memories he drew several conclusions about what his father had done. That’s why he didn’t want to become Darkhunter. Life did not work that way. Mordred stole the previous book from the Trolls, the only written account of what happened.

Apparently it had stayed with the family ever since.

The back part of the book was actually a journal. Pages and pages of hidden family history, monsters, and struggles. He flipped to the very back-

_James,_  
_I know I haven’t been the best father. Please understand. Now that this book and mantle have come under your possession, You might finally understand. But you don’t have to forgive me._  
_I don’t know when this will reach you, or how. But I have stumbled upon something very large. Forces are at work, James. Something is happening and I don’t think the Trolls know. I went off to follow a trail myself, it led me to a town called Arcadia Oaks. We shall see what I find._

James’s mouth was dry. He knew exactly what-

“James?”

Barbara’s voice made his head snap up as he slammed the book shut. “Yes?”

She appeared in the kitchen, night robe wrapped tightly around herself. “Are you alright?” There was still sleep in her eyes, her hair was sticking out in every direction, but in the dim-moonlit kitchen… She was still the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

“Yeah. Couldn’t sleep, that’s all.” He walked over and kissed her forehead. “Go back to sleep, you’ve got an early morning at your residency tomorrow…”

“Today.” She corrected. “My alarm went off, that’s why I’m awake…”

“Oh my god, is it that early?” Had he slept at all tonight? “Well, I’ll make you a good breakfast, and a nice pot of black coffee.”

She mumbled out a soft thanks before shambling back to the bedroom to get cleaned up.

He smiled fondly, then turned and picked up the Amulet and book. He dropped them back into the box. He’d get back to that mess after breakfast. Or after Jim woke up, whichever came first.

His little boy was growing more and more energetic by the day, and unfortunately, looking more and more like him by the day. James loved Jim with all his heart. His baby boy… He would make sure Jim had a better childhood than he did.

James did his best to be the best stay-at-home dad. He cooked, he cleaned, he played catch with Jim, he showed Jim how to tinker with an old vespa, he showed Jim how to help fix things up around the house when something broke, taught Jim how to bribe Barbara out of being angry with a good meal and some light conversation. The usual stuff.

He even taught Jim all the important things in life.

“You see this” He help up a magazine picture. “This is a 1996 vespa px200e.”

Jim stared blankly at the picture “Pisc 2003...?”

“P-x.”

“P-x.”

“200e.”

“P-x 200e.”

James lifted his son into the air, “Genius! My boy is a genius!”

He remembered a particularly tiring day not long after that where they had a very tiring day hunting snipes in the nearby park where they’d settled down on the couch to watch some reruns…

“Daddy?” Jim shifted in James’s arms on the small couch, coming to sit up on his chest.

“Hm?” He pulled his eyes away from the _Frasier_ to look up at Jim.

“‘s that weird box?” Jim’s little eyes held a sparkling curiosity.

Unfortunately, that same curiosity made James’s blood run cold. “What box?”

“The one you hide from Mommy. Iss got a biiiiiiiig book ann the glowy thing!” he waved his small arms for emphasis.

James carefully shifted to get a better look at his son, “James Lake Junior, have you been staying up past your bedtime?” He tickled Jim’s sides.

It did not take long for the boy to crack.

Jim admitted to his crime, but he had a good explanation. “-There’s a monster, daddy!”

That got James’s attention. “A monster?”

Jim nodded. “Under my bed.”

“ _Well_ , that monster isn’t paying rent, let’s go get that thing out from under your bed, little guy.” He ruffled Jim’s hair and matched to his son’s room. Fake or not, James would be damned before he let his son be scared by anything.

Now laying on his stomach James peered under the bed.

“Do you see it, daddy?”

“This is an elusive monster, Jim! But don’t worry. I’ll find it.” He squinted into the darkness. A shape started to form, a black mass of… fur? Feathers? Something.

“El… us… ive?”

“Very… sneaky…” James slowly reached for the thing. He was almost there… He could almost reach it...

Jim yelped and James yanked his hand back.

“Are you okay?” He rolled over as fast as he could and scooted to Jim.

Jim nodded. “Sorry…”

James picked Jim up in his arms and carried him back to the tv. “Here. You stay here. Daddy’s going to take care of the monster.” He set Jim on the couch. “You think nice thoughts about vespas or toys. Okay?” He smiled.

“Okay…”

Whatever that _thing_ was under Jim’s bed, it wasn’t normal… that ice cold fear built in his chest. He knew the place to look for it.

James pulled out the box and dumped its contents. He grabbed up the book and flipped through it to find whatever that was. Surprise surprise, he found it. A small creature covered in weird fur-like feathers.

_A snipe_

He tried not to laugh. Who knew they were actually real creatures?

He looked through the page, turned out the easiest way to deal with one before the house got infested was to either lure one out with a small shrub or to just shoo one out with Moonlight.

Moonlight, from what he’d gathered, was the name of the weapon the Amulet created. He’d done so well not using it, he’d never had a reason to. But this stupid Snipe was ruining his son’s peaceful childhood. He was going to have to…

He took the Amulet in hand and walked back to Jim’s room, shutting the door behind him. He popped open the tiny window and steeled himself.

The Amulet began to glow red in his hand. The arcane language on the outer edge- Troll Language, he presumed- began to shift as it moved like clockwork.

Chinese, Spanish…

English.

“For the glory of Morgaine, Moonlight is mine to command.”

For a moment he wasn’t sure what was going on. Until what he imagined leather armor felt like covered his body. The Amulet had vanished from his hands, as it was now embedded\ in the left shoulder of the armor like a patch of some kind. The armor glowed a very faint red, despite appearing to be normal leather armor. He didn’t have long to be curious about it then suddenly a large pole appeared before him.

He took it in his hand, it looked almost like a staff, It was a soft brown color, much like the armor, but decidedly not anything he’d ever seen. It was curved and in just the right light, he could see the string. This was a bow, This was Moonlight.

He got down on his knees, stuck Moonlight under the bed and wiggled it around until the snipe yipped and scurried out from under it. James continued to use Moonlight to herd it to the window, it hopped out without another sound. He peered outside, watching the snipe disappear, until a moment later when about a hundred more snipes started a charge for the open window.

“Jesus!” James scrambled and slammed it shut just before any of them could get inside.

“Daddy!”

He froze, he didn’t want James to see him like this. He pulled at the Amulet. “Shut off, shut off-shutoffshutoff!” As if obeying his command it came off easily. He shoved it into his pocket and exited the room.

“No need to worry, Jim.” James went back to the tv, smiling at Jim’s worried little face peering at him from over the couch. “I beat the monster up good, they won’t hurt you.”

“Mommy said fighting is bad.” Jim wiggled as James uprooted him to sit back down on the couch to continue watching tv.

“Mhm, your mommy is very smart, and she’s right.” He poked Jim’s nose. “Fighting is bad, don’t ever do it.”

Jim nodded and settled into his lap, watching the tv happily now.

James rested one of his arms on the back of the couch. The Amulet was digging into his hip, a reminder of what might be waiting for Jim in his future. Yeah, He’d made a decision now for certain. He would fight so maybe Jim wouldn’t have to.


	2. Coffee with David

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Barbara's day off, and things are supposed to go right.  
> But then everything starts going very very wrong.

The kitchen was on _fire_.

James had clamped his hand over his mouth in a vain attempt to keep from screaming.

“I’m sorry!” Barbara was frantically dumping water on the fire and somehow making it worse. “I’m so sorry!”

“Barbeque…” He walked over and pulled her away from the kitchen. “Sit down. It’s your day off…” She sat down on the couch, head in her lap.

“Mommy!” Jim ran over and pat her knees. “Don’t feel bad! Daddy says you’re always pretty an smart! Even if you burn stuff!”

She started laughing- or crying, James couldn’t quite tell. He covered the pan fire and smothered the towel she somehow managed to set on fire.

“It’s fine, I promise.” He called back. “Just relax. Let me pamper you!” He set the tragedy in the sink and dug out a fresh pan. “How about pancakes? I can make them just the way you like them!”

He couldn’t hear anything for awhile.

Then Jim came rushing in and grabbed onto his leg. “Mommy said yes!”

He looked down into his son’s shining eyes, “Alright, let’s make Mommy some pancakes. Jim could you get me a bowl?”

Jim ran off again, and not long after there was a knock on the apartment door.

“Mr. Kirkland!” Barbara’s voice raised several octaves upon seeing their landlord. “Yes- Yes. It’s my day off. I thought I would surprise James with some breakfas- Oh. Wait, are you sure? Okay… Okay… I’ll keep that in mind. Goodbye…” The door shut.

“So?” He called.

“I’m never allowed in the kitchen _again_ or we’ll be kicked out for the safety of the other tenants.”

As much as James couldn’t help but agree he swept Jim up in his arms, whispering: “Remember what we practiced?”

He nodded.

“Alright.” He set Jim down and pat his back. “Go!”

Jim hopped back into the other room and started singing a delightfully incorrect version of _Truly Scrumptious_. James leaned against the doorway as Barbara’s sullen face lit up listening to Jim’s little song. She looked up at him, her eyes watering, probably from a mixture of all the emotions in the past hour.

“Did… Did you..?”

James nodded. “Jim and I tag teamed it for weeks, almost ran the VHS from the library ragged getting it down…” He walked over, and started singing: “ _My heart beats so unruly… because I love you, truly._ ”

He walked over wrapped his arms around her. “ _Honest, truly, I do._ ” He kissed her. A tender moment that was rare these days...

“EEEWWW.”

And it was broken. They broke the kiss.

“Ah… The tender days of cooties…” James laughed and just kissed her nose. “Feeling better?”

She nodded. “Much… Now how about those pancakes?”

“Pancakes! Pancakes!” Jim marched around them, changing for pancakes.

James slowly let go of Barbara, and made his way back to the kitchen.

The day passed slowly, pancakes were eaten. They gathered around to watch old home movies of when Jim was very _very_ little.

“That me!” He shouted, pointing at the tv screen displaying himself, wrapped up in an old blanket.

“You’re right! That is you! You were only three months old!” James hugged both Barbara and Jim close. “The start of our little family!”

_”It’s been a year now, James. Are you sure you don’t want to go pay your respects?”_

_”Shh! Not now, Barbara I’ve got the camera on!”_

_”But he was your fath-”_

Barbara had shut off the tv. Her face was pale and her eyes filled with horror. “I’m so sorry, James… I didn’t know it was that tape.” She covered her face and groaned. “My day off and everything I do is wrong!”

“It’s okay, Barb! Really!” James waved his hands. “We all have a little bad luck! There’s nothing wrong with that.” And then something was digging into his hip, and it wasn’t Jim. That cold dread seeped into his bones again.

If he checked his pocket…

“I’m going to use the bathroom, you just… relax.” He got up off the couch and made a fast exit.

James hadn’t used the Amulet again since that Snipe under Jim’s bed. He didn’t even remember where he’d put it, and yet here he was, pulling the glowing thing from his pocket. “What do you _want_?” He asked as he shook it. “There’s nothing unnatural about this! Go away!” He shoved it into the medicine cabinet and slipped out.

He didn’t even get back to the couch when he felt it dig into his hip again.

But there was something even more pressing. Barbara was in tears, the phone held in her hand.

“What’s wrong…? Why are you crying?”

She looked up at him. “I just… got a call from my boss. It’s not my day off, apparently. He… He wants me fired for this…”

“ _What?_ ” Okay, he was beginning to realize he might’ve been a little hasty in judging whether this was supernatural or not. He glanced back towards the kitchen. The book that could give him an answer to that was hidden there. “You- You know what, Barbara, why don’t you go get some more sleep. Just relax. I’m going to call your boss.”

Without too much fight she just shuffled back to the bedroom. Jim popped out from behind the couch. “Daddy?”

“You too, Jim. Go to your room and set up a _huge_ obstacle course for your toys, once Daddy’s got this figured out, I’ll come and we’ll go through it.”

He ran off.

James sighed. He turned and went to the kitchen. Buried under all the stuff Barbara was already banned from touching for the safety of the other apartment tenants was the box with the book.

He flipped through it, front to back and found very little of what might be causing this. But it wasn’t normal! Barbara was unlucky, but not _this_ unlucky.

With nothing from the oh-so-helpful compendium he went to the journal. In a more lucid mindset he realized just how terrible the handwriting in his family was absolutely terrible. He kept catching mention of a trickster fae something-or-other. The name changed every time, but he assumed they were the same creature every time.

He waited a little longer, then pulled the Amulet from his pocket and went into the bedroom. “Barbara?”

It looked like she was curled up in the middle of the bed completely covered, and she didn’t respond when he called out to her… Probably a safe bet she was asleep.

He huffed and held out the Amulet. “I don’t know what name you’re using now, but if you don’t show yourself right now, I’ll use this!”

A figure emerged from the shadows. They were very lithe, with glossy dirty blond hair slicked back away from their piercing dark blue eyes. They had delicate facial features, and seemed unassuming, but the hairs on the back of James’s neck informed him this creature could end him in a heartbeat.

“I must say, it took me quite a while to find you.” They spoke, walking around James, still cloaked in darkness. “Three years… You must be a luckier one.”

“Who are you?”

“I do not give out my true name to _humans_. No, part of this deal is that you must give me a name, James Lake.”

“Whoa… Deal?” He waved his hands.

“Yes.” They glanced at Barbara, “Let’s talk about this over coffee.”

Away from the bedroom now, James put on a full pot of coffee.

They sighed, “I haven’t had coffee in three years, Oh _gods_ , I’ve missed it so much.” They nursed the cup like it was the last one on earth.

“So… who are you?”

They groaned mid-sip. “Didn’t you read the book? You know who I am.”

James waved his arms in the air, “I did! But I have no idea who or what you are. All I know is you’re a something-or-other that ruined my perfect day with my wife with your bad luck!”

They rested their head on the counter. “This is so much easier when the previous Darkhunter explains it.” They sat up and downed their whole cup and poured another. “Listen, I’m not here to exposit your family history to you…” They downed that cup as well.

“Long story short: Your family has me under contract from a very very long time ago, the condition of the deal is that I will assist in anything you need, as long as I do not have any direct contact with Trolls, Goblins, Changelings, iron, salt, wheat germ, oat bran, rose-hips, and you don’t kill me. All you have to do is give me a new name, because I refuse to give my true name to anyone.”

“Okay. But what are you?”

“I’m a Fae! Isn’t that obvious? A member of the high court, unafraid to sell out my fellow kinsman for my own hide.” They sat back and pulled off their dark cloak, revealing a rather unassuming suit underneath. “It’s simple business on my end, now… A name, please. I’d like to reinstate that contract now.”

James breathed slowly. “Uh.” He wasn’t exactly a creative person. “Wait. First undo all the s.. Stuff you did today. Then I’ll do it.”

“Fine, fine just… Name, now.”

“Uh… Nil… No, David?”

“David? Fine.” David poured another cup of coffee. “At least it’s not Lilith. I’ve gotten that too many times.”

“Want anything with that coffee?” James turned.

“Ah, no. This is fine. You could join me, though. I find it helps to get to know you a bit so I get an idea of what this is going to be like.” They motioned for him to sit. “Your father and I used to get coffee often, I miss them.” They looked away, but he didn’t miss the somber note in their voice.

James was about to sit. “Actually… I’ve got an obstacle course to help my son with.” He pat the counter. “You can finish up the coffee.”

David raised the cup, “Aright. I’ll be here when you need me.”

James could only hope he hadn’t made a mistake by doing this as he marched to Jim’s room to help good toys through whatever obstacle course a three year old could make for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm setting something up here, and I'm not sure how well it's going to turn out, but I can hope it turns out well.


	3. Pixie Panic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few weeks of Peace, dealing with the occasional Snipe and rarer Gnome.  
> But that peace is broken when something David's been hiding from shows up at James's home one night...

It had been a good few weeks since David came to him with the contract. Things had been pretty calm since then, occasionally David would drop by with a problem, just a small thing, a rouge Snipe again, or a weird incident with a gnome. Nothing major that a good whack with Moonlight couldn’t fix. His happy life remained intact, though occasionally he’d have to sneak out of the house to deal with small issues.

He felt bad about leaving Jim alone, but as long as James did this he felt Jim would always be safe. He could rest easy knowing his family was safe… Until...

James woke up to early morning darkness. A quick glance at the clock told him it was 3:14 AM. He rolled over and wrapped his arm around Barbara. She still smelled like the hospital, she hadn’t changed out of her scrubs, her hair was a mess... 

But she was beautiful.

And then he caught sight of David’s unnaturally blue eyes staring from across the room. They smiled and pointed towards the door meer moments before a three year old dive bombed the bed.

“Ah-” James jolted a bit as Jim army crawled over the comforter. He pulled Jim up between them. “What’s up, buddy?”

“I had a bad dream!” He clung to the sheets. “Can I sleep with you?” He rested his head on James’s chest.

“Of course you can, Jim, you’re always-”

But Jim was already asleep, so James just curled up around his son to protect him from the bad dreams and went back to sleep.

He woke up to Barbara kissing his forehead. “My silly boys.”

He hummed, “My beautiful girl.”

“See you after work.” He felt her hand run through his hair and he fell asleep again.

The next time James woke up Jim was jumping on the bed chanting: “Breakfast! Pancakes! Breakfast! Pancakes!”

“Okay. Okay! Pancakes for breakfast.” He rolled out of bed. “You go on ahead of me, Jim. Get the bowls and stuff just like I showed you.”

He heard Jim sprint off to the kitchen as he stretched.

“Listen, James, I hate to ruin your morning-”

“What is it, David?” He rubbed his eyes. “I haven’t even had coffee yet.”

They walked over to him. “Well, I haven’t either. And frankly, I was thinking, we could expand your coffee collection. I was thinking an espresso-”

“No.” He started walking. “I’m not going to shell out hundreds of dollars so you can get some coffee drink, I’ve got Jim’s future to think about!” He shook his head. “And not for your comfort, you’re a Fae, you can get it yourself with magic, can’t you?”

David just grumbled behind him, following him to the kitchen where Jim was already making a holy mess with a leaking bag of flour.

“Whoa-ho-ho!” James rushed over and grabbed it. “Next time, buddy, be sure to grab the bag so it’s not open.”

“Whuu..?” Jim looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes.

James just set the bag down and pat his head, “Nevermind. Go watch a tv show, I’ll finish up here.” Jim stumbled away, tracking flour through the apartment. James rubbed his eyes. “Kids…”

He started mocking-up some pancake batter, stepping out into the living room.

“Want chocolate chips in your pancake, buddy?”

Jim turned away from his show to nod, “Yeah! Yeah!”

“Alright… wait, who’s that?” James stared at the man in the orange shirt on the tv.

“Joe!”

“Where’s Steve?” 

“Steve went to college!”

James turned back to the kitchen, shaking his head as he did “Nothing good ever lasts…”

Still, James felt a little jealous of Steve. The allure of returning to college… Turning back time to when his studies were fresh and being in a new high class environment: The halls of Stanford. The libraries and all the books he’d never read. Romancing Barbara all over again. The days before-

“You’re overmixing.” David spoke right into his ear.

-that.

He nearly dropped the bowl, hissing: “Don’t _do_ that!”

“Sorry, I just didn't want you to ruin your pancakes.” They shrugged and floated up into the air, a cup of coffee materializing in their hands. “I know how much you care about your food, after all.”

He set down the bowl. “I also care about my privacy. So why are you here?”

“Well,” They dusted off part of the countertop and sat down. “I had been in Seattle when I noticed a roving band of magic troublemakers. Those ruffians were causing a scene so I followed them.” They rubbed their hands together, then ran one through their blond hair. "Then I realized they were a group of Pixies..."

“Pixies?” James set aside the pancake batter to dig out the book.

“Yes, of the kind that hate me variety. And of the _Manicus-Delusious_ variety.”

“What-

“Nightmares. They create nightmares.”

James stopped. “Nightmares… Like the one _Jim_ had last night?”

David shifted, looking away from him. “Yes, I was just getting to that… You see, Faerys and Pixies don't get along- in fact pixies won the war- So when they saw me I… ran. I didn't think they’d follow me all the way back here, but I guess I was wrong.”

“You _guess_?” James grabbed a nearby knife. “Fix this, David.”

“ I can't!”

“What do you mean you can't?” He held the knife to their neck.

“It's the contract, you see.” David carefully pushed the knife away. “Those pixies are after me, and while I could take care of them myself, part of our contract is that you'll protect me if I ask for it. I'm asking for it. Therefore, I can't! But you can!”

James shoved the knife back into the rack. “Let me guess, with Moonlight, right? I wave it around and they run away.”

“Not quite, these pixies have no master, so they play… how should I say this… _fast and loose_ with their lives, Moonlight alone won't be enough scare them away. You'll have to finally learn how to fight with it.”

James got out a pan and started actually making the pancakes. “I don't know how to shoot a bow.”

David beamed, “You don't, but the magic in Moonlight does. Tonight, when Jim is about to sleep, just tell him to sleep in your bed, that way you can deal with the pixies. I'll be by your side.”

David vanished just in time for Jim to rush in and hug his legs.

“I wanna paint my room ak.. akwimer…”

James looked down as he poured the batter into the pan. “Aquamarine?”

“Yeah! That!”

James laughed, “Why do you want to paint your room aquamarine?”

“Because its blue an’ green! I like blue _and_ green!” He pulled on James’s pant leg with all the might of a three year old.

“Well…”

“Please please please pleeeeeeeaaaaaaaase?”

“Mommy and I will think about it.”

“Yaaaay!” Jim dashed off again.

The rest of the day passed without too much incident. Jim kept asking about aquamarine, then about what other cool color combinations there were.James continued planning how to best throttle David later for even daring to bring Pixies or whatever near his home. Near his _son_. A price would be paid to hell tonight, one way or another.

He helped Jim into his sleepwear that night. “Hey, buddy, I’m going to take care of that nasty thing that made you have a bad dream last night.”

Jim’s eyes went wide with wonder. “You mean a monster made me dream bad stuff?”

“Yep.” He nodded and kissed Jim’s forehead, “You go sleep in Mommy and Daddy’s room and tomorrow you won't have bad dreams ever again because the monster will be gone.”

Jim threw his arms around James. “Thank you, Daddy!”

James sent him on his way, waited until he heard the door shut, and pulled out the Amulet.

He still didn't like the feel of it in his hand.

He walked to Jim's room, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end again, like when he had first met David, but different.

“I’ll be here for you. In spirit.” David placed their hand on his shoulder. “Remember, trust the magic in Moonlight.”

“In spirit, though… what happened to ‘always by my side’?”

“I’ll be there! In spirit. I'd just be a risk in such a small room. It will be better, trust me.” They pulled open the door without touching it- with magic- and pushed James inside.

On the other side of the door a creature almost as human-like as David was waiting. They were much smaller, barely taller than an action figure. They had obviously pointed ears, and piercing green eyes, matched with a cocky grin.

“So you're the new Darkhunter.” They floated closer, “I’ll never understand why your line keeps making families, they never last, you know.”

James instantly thought of two words he couldn't bring himself to say after three years of watching shows for preschoolers. He opted for a different set: “Shut up!” 

The Amulet flared red, it almost buzzed in his hand and the incantation spilled from his lips without a second thought. The light armor wrapped around his body and he grabbed Moonlight from the air, ready to hit this Pixie over the head with it. “Leave my family alone, or I'll use this!”

They blinked. Then they erupted in laughter. “Oh- oh gods! You're just a riot! Much more fun than your ancestors!” They slapped their little knees. “You're not even holding it right!”

James gripped Moonlight tighter. He wasn’t about to let this thing insult him. Though now the question was how was he going to get rid of this thing since he had no clue how to actually use Moonlight. David’s advice to trust the magic rang in his ears, but how could he trust magic when he barely trusted David?

The Pixie’s grin got wider, “You don’t even know how to _use_ Moonlight, do you?” they raised their hand. “I’ll make quick work of you, then.” They snapped their fingers and a burst of small lights burst from behind them, there must have been hundreds of them all swarming towards him.

In a blind panic James’s arms seemed to move on their own. Moonlight shifted in his hand, something long and thin formed between his fingers- an arrow?- that he immediately nocked on the string. His arms pulled back and the moment his vision swarmed with the light things he let go.

The voices that came with the light alerted him that these were also pixies- but when he opened his eyes he didn’t see them anymore.

He was staring at the ceiling. Barbara was leaning over him, concern and… tears filling her eyes.

“James…” Her voice was cracking as she spoke. “James please… don’t leave me…”

“I would never.” He reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

“James… Why did you die?”

He froze. “Die?” He sat up, holding Barbara by her shoulders. “But I’m not dead I’m right here!”

She started to cry, not seeing, hearing, or feeling him. “How am I going to raise Jim alone…?”

“Barbs, I’m not dead! I’m talking to you right now!” He shook her, “please, you have to see me, I’m right here!”

Still, she was unresponsive.

A cold panic took James’s heart. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Jim move. Slowly he turned. His precious little three year old Jim was crying too. What was worse though… was the thing Jim had in his hands. Jim was holding the Amulet of Moonlight.

“No!” James jumped away from Barbara, reaching out to slap the Amulet out of his sons hands. “I’m not dead! I’m not dead, the Amulet isn’t his! _Please, he’s still just a kid, don’t put him through this!_ ” He was held in place though.

“James. Snap out of it!” Barbara pulled him back from Jim, forcing him to turn around. “Come on, look at me.”

He struggled, trying in vain to pull himself from Barbara’s almost supernatural grip. “No, I have to stop Jim. He can’t read that inscription I won’t let him inherit the Amulet.”

She rolled her eyes, “You’ll have to forgive me for this…” Barbara raised her hand-

David slapped him across the face.

“ _OW-!_ Son of a-!”

“Sorry, had to be done. _Manicus-Delusious_ are nasty beasts.” David snatched a rapidly escaping spark from the air and crushed it in their hand. “Terrible little pixies.” They got off James and dusted their hands off. “That tumultuous monster must have been trying to use them to catch you even more off-guard. But you fired off a shot from Moonlight at just the right time.” They held out a hand to him.

“So the magic worked then? I didn’t even know what was going on.” He took David’s hand. “Maybe I ought to spend less time beating Snipes from bushes and more time practicing shooting Moonlight.”

“Perhaps.” David nodded, “Get some sleep tonight, we’ll think more on it tomorrow.”

James frowned. “That Pixie is going to be coming back?”

“Well, now that you’ve made an enemy of them just as much as I have." David paused for a brief second. "Yes, most certainly.” They pat his shoulder, “But don’t worry, it should be quite some time before that happens. Plenty of time to practice.”

He sighed. “Thanks David.” He left the room and went back to his own bedroom hold his son close until Barbara arrived home from work then he would be able to sleep.

The next morning he woke up early and kissed Barbara awake. “Hey, beautiful, I’m going to make some breakfast.”

“Mm… I’d like that. ‘M sure Jim would too…” She smiled and rolled over.

James dutifully made the best breakfast and coffee he’d made in months. “Breakfast is ready!”

Barbara and Jim ambled out to the kitchen, they were chatting with peaceful smiles on their faces. This is what James was protecting. What he would protect until… many many years in the future.

They all sat down to a nice breakfast.

“So Jim was telling me about a friend of his.” Barbara smiled at James, mouthing ‘imaginary’.

“Oh?” James picked up his coffee cup, looking to Jim. “What’s their name?” He took a sip.

“David!”

James immediately spat the coffee back out.


End file.
